God is Great

I walked the longest portico in the world today up the side of a HUGE hill to San Luca church. It is about 4 miles long and all uphill. Needless to say I was very relieved to get to the top, but it was worth it. Above is the view of what I saw from San Luca. It's times like these when I wonder how in the world can someone not believe in God. There is no other being that could create such a masterpiece. It was ironic because on the opposite side of San Luca is the city of Bologna. Actually on a clear day, like today, you can see all the way to the Aegean Sea. But the point I am making is on one side of this hill you see a landscape of beauty as God wanted, but on the other side you see a city with a university that has not had a Christian organization present in 20 years. They are so close and the only thing between this imperfect university/city and God at his finest is a walk. The only problem is the HUGE hill (see above) separates them. To get away from the metaphors for a minute (by the way, I did make an A in English), these people and students in this town are so close to God but are separated by a big hill called sin, that they cannot cross alone. They have this dynamite called Jesus that can blow that hill away, and all it takes is one sentence, one question, one prayer. Yesterday was our first day to be on campus. We were only there for about an hour getting the feel of it all; praying for the students and trying to initiate conversations...not as easy as it sounds. Seeing the students walk to class and thinking that some of them, most of them have never even heard of Jesus Christ or God. Sure they walk past churches everyday, but they are just another building to them. Our first official day on campus where we will be there for multiple hours will be Wednesday (holiday Monday and Tuesday...so no one will be on campus). Please, PLEASE keep us in your prayers as we prepare to share the Gospel and also, pray for the students so that they will be able to respond to our words. God Bless! Ciao!

Ciao from Italy

Buon Giorno from the beautiful city of Bologna, Italy. The image above is the view we have from our apartment. This city is amazing. Today was our first full day in Bologna, so we spent most of our time absorbing it all in. We met in a cafe to have breakfast and go over some cultural norms that we should get familiar with. I managed to order my breakfast of "brioche con crema e cafe (cream pastry and espresso)." After the meeting we walked around the city a bit and then had lunch where I, again, ordered on my own. We finally got gelato and then took an actual tour of the city. Below this entry will be a few pictures from it. We then learned about practical needs while we are here, like groceries and such. Although we are the first group of students to come to Bologna, over the past year 3 couples on staff with Campus Crusade have moved here to get things started. They have been helping us out a lot with how to do things and whatnot. Tonight our group split up and went to their different apatments for dinner...amazing! At dinner we talked about our plans for the summer more in depth and it sounds very exciting. Tomorrow will be our first day on the campus so please pray for us as we go tomorrow that God will work through us. Below are pictures of the Alps as we flew into Bologna, San Petronio, part of the outer wall of Bologna from the Roman Empire that dates back to 400 B.C. and finally a picture of Bologna from one of the surrounding hills. And just a fun fact about me is that John Grisham is my favorite author and "The Broker" is my favorite book...which ironically takes place in Bologna. Well, I found out at dinner tonight that the room in the cafe that we had our meeting in is the same room and cafe that John Grisham wrote most of "The Broker." Needless to say, I will be spending time in that cafe. Until next time...God Bless. Ciao!

Be Still and Know that I am God

Psalms 46:10 states "Be still and know that I am God." Most people know this part of the verse...but it goes on to say "I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the Earth." Today was my first day of briefing for Italy. We had two meetings today and will have three tomorrow. The speaker talked about this verse and I felt much more comfortable after hearing it. Today has been crazy getting to this briefing and really having it sink in that I am going to Italy. I mean, I knew that I was going but it always felt so far away. Now its less that 48 hours away. I have had multiple emotions since arriving. I am excited, but nervous. This will be my first trip overseas so I have even been a bit scared at times going into this huge unknown for me...but then I think of that verse. I know that the only reason I am sitting in this hotel room right now is because God has perfectly planned for me to be here. When I think about that, the courage and strength I want to feel, I feel. Also, the group of men and women I'm with is amazing. Finally, if you could pray not only for the 14 people going to Italy, but the 150 college students that are going all over the world, that are all at this briefing. God is Great! Until next time...Ciao!

It'll be here before I know it

Wow!!! I cannot believe that in one week from today I will be arriving in Bologna! I have been planning and praying for months for this moment. We arrive in Dallas on Sunday for meetings and briefings and next Tuesday I will take a ten hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany and then a one hour flight to Bologna. For the next week I will be getting organized and packed. I am very anxious and excited. Please continue to pray for me in these final days before my trip. Ciao!